SEDIBENG.- The educators staged a sit-in at the SDM offices on Monday demanding that they be paid their outstanding salaries.

Police were called to the scene of the stage in to remove the workers who were demanding to see the SDM Municipal Manager (MM) adding that they had also been promised to be absorbed and that this has not happened.

Sedibeng Ster reported earlier this month that the SDM acknowledged that the educators were paid one  month relief stipend and that the outstanding balance will be paid upon the HIV/AIDS Grant receipt. These educators provide HIV and TB counselling and testing services at Primary Health Care (PHC) clinics to patients in compliance with the project’s HIV and TB service profile and reporting requirements. They also support community-based HIV Testing Services (HTS), working closely with the Outreach Teams.

Speaking to Sedibeng Ster, Mpho Nkitsing the educator’s supervisor for ward 18, 29 and 33 said that they have been taken from pillar to post when they raise the issue of the payment of their backdated salaries and the promised that the SDM and the Gauteng Department of Health made to absorb them.

“We are educators under the coordination of Sedibeng and our program started in 2008 in 2019 the Department of Health made a commitment to absorb us from 2020 after the implementation of the (new) financial year. Since 2020 up to now they are taking us from to pillar to post,” Nkitsing said.

A statement issued to Sedibeng Ster by the SDM earlier this year said: “The Sedibeng District Municipality will continue to work effectively and efficiently with Gauteng Department of Health to provide the Ward Based door to door AIDS education programme across Sedibeng District for the year 2022/23 and ensure a positive and responsive relationship with the HIV/AIDS Ward Based Educators.”

At the time of going to print Sedibeng Ster was awaiting comment from the municipality on the current developments.